


Butterfly Effect

by Moondragon8



Series: Butterfly Effect [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: ....later, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Comfort/Angst, F/F, Gen, Homeworld is Horrible, Sad Pearl (Steven Universe), i swear it gets better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-14 16:50:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 4,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18056366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moondragon8/pseuds/Moondragon8
Summary: Ruby flung herself at the Renegade.Everything was going to change.Ruby twisted slightly in midair.Everything was changing.Ruby hit the Renegade, knocking her over, and not touching Sapphire at all.Everything had changed.





	1. 5750 Years Ago

**5750 years ago**

Sapphire knew she was about to die. 

Well, temporarily. 

The swords were going to pass through her form, poofing her for an indefinite amount of time until she reformed on Homeworld. She could almost feel the cold touch of metal, and as she stood, the Terrifying Renegade Pearl in front of her, she saw no point in moving or running. The future was inevitable, and Sapphire could only watch it roll past like a river. 

Then a cry of “No!” rang out, and everything changed. Sapphire couldn’t see. Anything could happen. 

Ruby flung herself at the Renegade.

Everything was going to change. 

Ruby twisted slightly in midair. 

Everything was changing. 

Ruby hit the Renegade, knocking her over, and not touching Sapphire at all.

Everything had changed. 

The Renegade pushed Ruby off and stood, turning back to Sapphire, but it was too late. Quartzes had rallied, and Blue Diamond’s court was ready to fight back. 

So Rose Quartz and her Terrifying Renegade Pearl did the only thing they could.

They fled. 

Sapphire stood, looking at her trembling hands. “I-I don’t-”

“Ruby,” Blue Diamond’s cold voice rang across the Sky Arena. “You interfered with the predicted course of the future. You prevented the capture of the rebels.”

“I-I’m sorry!” Ruby cried. 

Suddenly, one element of the now hazy future became clear to Sapphire. Ruby would be shattered for this.

If anything could happen, Sapphire didn’t want it to be this. 

“My Diamond,” Sapphire’s quiet voice interrupted before Blue Diamond could speak. “If I may?”

Blue Diamond didn’t move, but under her cloak her gaze landed on Sapphire. “Yes?”

“Ruby Facet 7X9 acted out of order, but she did so in order to save me from what she believed to be a terrible fate. With your brilliance, My Diamond, the capture of the rebels shall surely take place at a later date. And I am most impressed with Ruby’s ability to change the future-temporarily, of course. If it is not too much to ask, My Diamond, I would request that she be promoted to my personal guard at all times.”

There was a hesitant moment.

Blue Diamond nodded, almost imperceptibly, and Ruby relaxed. 

“Thank you,” she whispered to Sapphire, as regular proceedings slowly resumed.

Sapphire smiled, a very small smile. “Thank  _ you _ .” 


	2. 5500 Years Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis Lazuli comes to Earth.

**5500 years ago**

Lapis Lazuli hadn’t wanted to come to Earth. 

She was a loyal servant of the Diamonds (of course she was) but she didn’t particularly care for battle. She could defend herself if need be, but she wasn’t built for it. She was built to terraform. And so she did. 

Lapis stood, watching happily the Beta Kindergarten-one of her favorite Kindergartens she had made, working with the other Lapis Lazulis of course. She was proud to say she was a particularly powerful specimen, and liked to show it off a little. 

With no warning at all, calls rang out from the valley below.

“We, are the Crystal Gems!”

Lapis backed up, startled. The Crystal Gems? She was powerless, without water to use as a shield or weapon. But perhaps...if she just stayed up here, hidden, surely no one would mind. It wasn’t her job to fight, after all. 

Lapis stayed huddled by the edge of the cliff, watching the battle rage below her. 

And then suddenly

(far, far too suddenly)

The battle was  _ there,  _ raging around her. Lapis Lazuli looked around, confused, clutching her skirt-should she run? Should she leave? Should she-could she-fight? 

And then, as she turned to go, because battle was not her place, she felt a jarring hit, too close to her gem, right below it. 

As Lapis, almost in slow motion, felt herself tip backwards, her form dissolving, she met the eyes of a Bismuth. And she could tell, just looking into those eyes, she was going to be shattered as soon as she hit the ground, shattered by this strong gem.

And Lapis mouthed one word, right before she poofed.

_ Please. _

The word saved her. 

And then a hand grabbed her, before she could reform. She was trapped, questioned, stuck-

Would it have been better to not say the word at all?


	3. 5000 years ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose makes a choice.   
> (They never learned to fuse.)
> 
>  
> 
> (Oh, and major spoilers for A Single Pale Rose onward. If you haven't watched ASPR, DO NOT READ THIS, and it's strongly recommended you watch Diamond Days up to Change Your Mind as well.)

The Rebellion was losing. 

They had been for a while, but Rose was giving up. As single gems, they could only do so much-even if they got their seven Rubies to fuse, they couldn’t do much to turn the tide. Rose had just barely saved the last two gems from shattering, and countless more she hadn’t been able to save-many of them from that Jasper.

“We have to do this,” Rose told Pearl. 

“I know,” Pearl said. 

“I’ll try and make sure they don’t punish you.”

“I know.”

“We did our best, Pearl.”

Pearl swallowed hard. “I know.”

Rose fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Pearl. They hugged for a long time. 

Then Rose stood, and let the disguise fall away.

Pink Diamond sighed. “All right.”

She went to Blue and Yellow that day. Told them everything-well, not  _ everything.  _ She made it sound as if Pearl had only been doing it because  ~~ Rose  ~~ Pink told her, when in reality it had been Pearl’s idea-sort of. She also left out the few shaky moments when she and Pearl had almost been...someone else. But not. And she begged them, once more, to please let the Earth be safe. 

Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond looked at each other, and talked. (Pink swore Yellow said something about being impressed with her military strategy.)

And agreed on something. 

“You get Earth, to do what you want with it,” Blue Diamond said. 

Pink beamed. “Thank you-”

“But!” Yellow said.

Pink stepped back. 

“You do not get to conquer any more planets. You do not get to produce any more gems. You keep your court, as it is…”

Pink nodded. 

“And we’re giving away your Pearl.”

Pink opened her mouth to protest, but one look from Yellow made her shut her mouth again and nod. 

“The Morganite we’re giving her to is very worthy of the Pearl,” Blue Diamond said, in an attempt to comfort Pink Diamond, but Pink could only think  _ Everyone I’ve loved, I’ve hurt. My first Pearl, my second...my rebellion... _

“Pink?” were the last words Pink Diamond heard her Pearl say, sounding confused and hurt, as the Jaspers took her away. 


	4. 4999 Years Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify-  
> White Diamond and Pink Diamond still swapped Pearls, or whatever it is that happened. The timeline ran parallel to the show up until the events of The Answer. The Pearl being given away was "our" Pearl, the Renegade.

Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond-Pink Diamond was working with Rose Quartz-the Terrifying Renegade had been a trick-Rose Quartz had been a trick-it was all lies, lies, lies.

The Rebellion was in chaos, and it wasn’t helped by the fact that in the middle of a battle about to be lost, their opponents started retreating.

Lapis Lazuli, in her mirror, heard nothing of it-only felt the drop to the ground, and then, a blinding pain as a crack tore through her gem.

Above the Earth, three Diamonds unleashed a final attack. Pink’s Rebellion could not stand.

On Earth, the Rebellion (and a few unlucky Homeworld gems) cried out and felt their minds slip away.

On Earth, Lapis Lazuli heard nothing.

On Homeworld, Pink Diamond cried for all she had lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least it's only up from here?


	5. 4000 years ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 345 HITS HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE W H A T  
> Thank you all so much! There's a long ride left, and I can't wait to enjoy it with all of you!

On the moon, Pink Diamond hummed softly as she spun the globe, landing randomly in different parts of Earth.

She found herself on beautiful plains, sparkling islands, dusty Kindergartens-

Pink Diamond sighed and tapped again, landing in a small human settlement.

There was a chime, and Pink looked down to see that she had a message from Blue.

_Your Quartzes found an overcooked Amethyst on Earth. Not sure whether she’s supposed to be mine or yours, but she seems ready to fight, even if she’s short. Do you want her or shall I shatter her?_

Pink shuddered at the idea and quickly tapped back a message.

_I'll take her. She can go help the Amethyst patrols on Earth._

That finished, Pink returned to her usual task-looking at Earth without being able to touch, and mourning.

She sighed softly, returned to humming, and after a bit began to hum a melody, and then to sing.

_I guess I have to face that in this awful place_

_I shouldn’t show a trace of doubt_

_But pulled against the grain_

_I feel a little pain_

_That I would rather do_

_Without_

_I’d rather be_

_Free-e-e-e…._

_Would rather be_

_Free-e-e-e_

_Fre-e-e-ee…._

There was a knock at the door, and Pink froze, hesitated, and turned.

“Yes?” the Diamond inquired.

Two Amethysts entered, hesitantly.

Pink Diamond looked fundamentally the same as a thousand years ago, but something had changed, if you looked closer. She hadn’t reformed, and yet she looked...tired. Like she had been affected by Blue Diamond’s grief wave so many times it had become a part of her appearance. Her hair seemed messier, and her eyes had an almost chilling look.

“W-we found something,” one said, holding up the something.

It was a mirror, with a blue gemstone, cracked, embedded in the back.

Pink laughed, just a little. It sounded forced. “Well, it’s no worry. I’ll deal with it. You can go.”

The Amethysts nodded and left, whispering to each other of the excitement of seeing their Diamond, and she had actually _talked!_ This was going to be gossip for years!

Pink Diamond turned the mirror this way and that before placing it gem-up on the floor. Tears came easily, and fell one by one with a plip on the gem.

The blue teardrop glowed and the crack sealed over. Pink Diamond gently curled her hand around the gem-

And pulled.

The gem broke free, the mirror shattering. The gem glowed and light burst out, forming-

A Lapis Lazuli wobbled and fell to the ground before Pink Diamond.

She looked up, eyes wide. “You saved me.”

Pink inclined her head. “Think nothing of it.”

The Lapis rose to her feet, shaky. “I am in your debt, my Diamond. I was made for Blue Diamond’s court, but please, can I stay here? You saved me, I wish to stay here, to help you-”

Pink Diamond put up her hand. “Of course. Say no more. You are dismissed.”

The Lapis nodded and began to walk away. She hesitated before the door, and turned back to look at the Diamond. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Pink said.

Lapis Lazuli Facet 7I8 become famous as the only Lapis Lazuli in Pink’s court, and the last gem to ever see Pink Diamond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She was using the observation orb from Can't Go Back, in case that wasn't clear.
> 
> Also, from here on in, the chapters get longer, so it's one a day instead.


	6. 3000 years ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something entirely new happens.

It had been 2750 years since Ruby had saved Sapphire’s life, and Sapphire still hadn’t stopped being impressed by the red gem.

Ruby was unpredictable in a way that shocked and startled Sapphire, and could calm her down from a particularly harsh vision with only a few words, and was also so funny, and strong, and interesting, when Sapphire had thought Rubies were all the same.

It had been 2750 years since Sapphire had saved Ruby’s life, and still Ruby was always finding new things about the blue gem.  
She was really kind, and curious, and thoughtful, and she always knew so many things, and just what to say, and could stop Ruby’s ranting in her tracks, and was so much more than just something to protect, and thought Ruby was so much more than someone to protect her.

It had been 2750 years since Ruby and Sapphire had saved each other, and they were falling in love despite not knowing the meaning of the word.

They were in Sapphire’s “thinking spire”, Sapphire still trembling from the aftermath of a very scary vision where an Amethyst narrowly avoided shattering. Ruby sat next to her, murmuring comforting words-“it was just a thought, just a thought, just a thought”-but Sapphire wouldn’t stop shaking, and Ruby acted without thinking.

She put a hand on Sapphire’s back.

She almost immediately regretted it-one did not touch gems outside of your type, certainly not ones who greatly outrank you-but Sapphire seemed to calm down, so Ruby hesitantly didn’t move.

Then Sapphire scooched closer to Ruby and sat up.

“I’m sorry-” Ruby stammered.

“No! It’s okay-” Sapphire said, then broke off.

There was a shaky pause.

Then Sapphire acted without thinking, because Ruby made her do things like that.

She hugged Ruby.

Ruby hugged her back.

They were both shocked, confused, scared-but happy, too, and Ruby was smiling, and so was Sapphire, and they leaned together-

“What is the meaning of this?”

Ruby and Sapphire jumped away from each other guiltily and turned to see a Holly Blue Agate standing in the door.

For the second time that day, Ruby froze, and Sapphire acted without thinking.

For the second time in her life, Sapphire refused to let the future take its course.

She grabbed Ruby’s hand and leapt out the window.

“What are you doing?” Ruby yelled, her words carried away by the wind.

Sapphire heard and slowed her descent slightly, enough to not poof them on impact. “Saving you!”

“I’m supposed to save you!” Ruby argued, as Sapphire landed and fled across Homeworld’s bare surface, dragging Ruby along.

Sapphire hesitated, and neglected to See the hole coming.

They fell.

The argument was cut off in a bout of screaming as Sapphire fell, Ruby falling on top of her.

There was a brief moment when time seemed to slow as they fell, Sapphire’s bangs drifting aside to reveal a wide eye.

Ruby felt her body warm.

Sapphire could truly see Ruby, and she was even more beautiful than she had thought.

The screaming faded, replaced by a soft glow, and then-

“Wha? Ah-AAAAAA!”

Someone else, someone new and confused, tumbled down a rocky slope and came to rest in an abandoned Kindergarten, facing a massive fusion (who knew immediately what the someone was) and a small orange Sapphire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Garnet wasn't the first fusion to happen, mostly because I feel like surely another accident would have happened eventually.


	7. 2000 years ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We check in on an overcooked Amethyst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that, we're halfway there already!

8XM (or “Shortstuff”, as she was more commonly known,) loved her job.

True, she had only been doing it for two thousand years, but that was still quite a while by Gem standards, and she did really love it. Her Famethyst were fun and she loved to roughhouse with them. The Morganite who checked in on them and sent reports to Pink Diamond was super fun to prank, and her Pearl…

 _Well._ Shortstuff always enjoyed seeing her Pearl.

And sometimes, after a real good prank, that Pearl’s mouth would twitch into an almost-smile, and that would make Short smile for years.

Earth was neat too. Shortstuff enjoyed it, and the squishy humans were always good for a laugh. There was nothing real to report, but Morganite still proudly showed off every reply from Pink Diamond reading “Good job.”

(Short wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw Morganite’s Pearl roll her eyes at that every so often.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pink Diamond, sitting in the moon base, sighs and taps the prerecorded "good job" she has ready for Morganite's emails. She hasn't read one in years. Did she even ask to be sent these??  
> "oh my gosh she loves me" Morganite whispers, taking in the 168th "Good job" Pink Diamond has sent her.


	8. 1000 years ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Pearl thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon/theory that since Gems are made of light, being put in a dark place is both physically and mentally awful.

Pearl (Matte Peach Pearl, if Morganite wanted to be fancy) hated her job.

Morganite cared for nothing aside from “Stand there, look nice, hold things.” And as Pearl had learned so long ago, if she decided to sit there instead, or walk away, or give herself a different form, or drop something, then the result would not be pleasant. 

Morganite couldn’t punish her Pearl _too_ severely, or she wouldn’t have one. But a little time in darkness never hurt anyone.   
Not permanently.

It had been so long, Pearl had almost forgotten what it had been like. 

Almost a thousand years of thrilling, invigorating  _ rebellion.  _ Almost a thousand years of feeling free, of seeing a smile on her Diamond’s face. 

(What had her false name been? A flower?)

One moment of heartbreak.  _ You are not wanted. You are not needed.  _

Four thousand years of numbing, breaking rule-following. Four thousand years of watching Morganite scowl and of looking at her hands and thinking  _ Are they really mine? _

(Sometimes she hugged herself so tightly she almost poofed, just to make sure her body was hers.)  

Pearl sealed away the memories of rebellion. (Was it really her sealing them away, or was it the darkness?)

But sometimes...sometimes, she wondered if shattering would have been a better fate. 

And then she brought out the holograms of herself and Pink (and ROSE! That was it, Rose.), and let herself remember. 

And sometimes, that Amethyst (the little one) smiled and looked so much like Rose ( _ Rose,  _ she wouldn’t forget again), that all the memories came back without Pearl wanting them to. 

But mostly? Mostly, she stood and looked nice and held things, and even if everything went well, she still wasn’t happy.

She still wasn’t free. 

(She had forgotten Pink’s other name. Again.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made myself sad with this one, so at least you're not alone.  
> (I almost made a Les Mis reference here, but decided against it. You're welcome.)


	9. 16 years ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're on a collision course with the future and not the bravest Ruby can stop it.

Pink Diamond was tired. 

She was tired of sitting here, alone, watching Earth move without her. She was tired of crying, tired of yelling in rage, tired of being tired. 

She wanted to be happy. 

And for the sake of the stars, if a Diamond wanted to go explore her colony, she could, couldn’t she? 

So Pink Diamond stood, and left the Moon Base, and went to Earth. 

She stayed in the woods for the first few months, but with the oxygen to breathe, and the crunch of the leaves-could you blame her if it all went to her head?  
But the humans would certainly be scared of a tall pink lady. 

(Everyone was scared of her-she was a Diamond. She was made to be feared.) 

So Pink Diamond closed her eyes, and let her form melt away.

For the first time in 4982 years (Pink kept track, because why not? It was one more thing to do), Pink Diamond became Rose Quartz. 

And stepped out of the woods, and into the light. 

As it happened, there was a concert that night. 

Pink (Rose) was the only one who showed up. But the music was lovely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're out of the woods now, folks.


	10. 14 years ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 900 hits? Whaaaat? You guys are amazing and I love you. I have so much planned for this story and I'm so excited! :D

Morganite was convinced something was wrong, now that Pink Diamond had stopped replying to her messages. 

Shortstuff thought that was hilarious. “For stars sake, Morganite, it’s been what, two years? She’s probably just tired of your ‘reports’!” 

She found it less hilarious when Morganite kicked her, hard, for saying that. 

Morganite sent several frantic messages, but nobody responded. 

It’d only been two years, for stars sake. She was fine.

 

(On earth, a rock star and a star rock had a much-needed talk about their budding relationship after some strange creature attacked. Rose gained a new respect for humans. Greg gained a new respect-and some sympathy-for Rose.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider the information in brackets a glimpse into stories we'll later be told in full.


	11. 13 years ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis is concerned.

Lapis Lazuli found it very worrying that her Diamond had been gone for three years and no one had noticed. 

So what if no one ever saw her since Lapis? She could be hurt or something!

Lapis tried to tell the other members of Pink’s court this, but no one listened. It was a small court, anyway, and most of it-the Amethysts-were on Earth. 

Except a Peridot, who agreed this was very odd, and then agreed to help Lapis contact the Morganite on Earth. She may have been a low-ranking Era 2 from Yellow Diamond’s court, but stars if she wasn’t more clever than plenty of high-and-mighty Agates and Aquamarines Lapis knew. 

 

(On Earth, Rose Quartz recorded a video for the little life inside her. He was going to have the happiest life ever, to make up for what his mother didn’t get-and maybe, just maybe, do what she couldn’t.)


	12. 11 Years Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet is different. (And has a name.)

Garnet was different from the other Off-Colors. 

And yes, that sounded silly, because they were all different, that was the point, but Garnet was different- _ er.  _

Fluorite was content with how they were, regardless of the fact that they had to constantly escape Shattering Robonoids hunting them down. It was hard to be anything else when you were so deeply in love with yourself.

Garnet could understand that, but there had to be something better than this!

Padparadscha, bless her, didn’t understand what life could have been like. And she loved her friends. Why would she want anything else? 

Garnet loved them, too, but she knew there were better things out there somewhere.

Rhodonite was too scared to go anywhere. As a Pearl and a Ruby, she had experienced worse things than Sapphire had in some ways, and didn’t want to risk going out there.

The Ruby part of Garnet knew they were strong enough to risk it. Sapphire knew it too. And they had both been scared before, but they’d been strong before too.

The Rutiles simply didn’t know how to find a way out, and couldn’t risk it anyways. 

But Garnet had an idea. 

She split up one night. Ruby and Sapphire made their way across Homeworld, thinly disguised (but well enough that others didn’t notice) picking up gossip on the way. 

Pink Diamond was missing, had been for five years now. A crazy Lapis Lazuli and Morganite were planning to try and find her. 

They were going to go on a ship to Earth. 

Garnet knew she had to get on there too. 

 

(On Earth, Greg dealt with a one-year-old whose stomach occasionally glowed. Rose was gone, but Steven was still here.)


	13. 9 years ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's not counting down to Steven's birth. So what is it counting down to?

All rumors reached Blue Diamond eventually. 

Her Pearl was very good at sneaking about, seeing and hearing things only a Pearl could. And her Pearl always reported back to her. 

So when Blue Diamond heard that Pink hadn’t been replying to reports for seven years now, she called in the Lapis Lazuli and the Morganite who had been contacting her, ready to either be worried or to scold Pink for slacking on her one duty. 

It turned out to be the worried one. 

So Blue Diamond went to the moon. She was in no real hurry-wherever Pink was, she could wait another year or so. 

In the shadows, a fusion with cotton candy hair listened, followed, and hid. 

 

(On Earth, Steven took his first steps. In some ways, he really was a normal toddler, and that was all his mother had wanted.)


	14. 6 years ago to 5 years ago

Pink Diamond was not on the moon.

She was also not on Homeworld, according to Yellow. 

Which left only one other option. 

Earth. 

Blue Diamond couldn’t be bothered to go herself. So she simply selected a few gems to go. 

That very-loyal-to-Pink Lapis Lazuli-loyalty was always good. 

A Peridot who had helped the Lapis-she seemed intelligent. 

The Morganite who had started this whole thing. They would bring her Amethysts back to Homeworld while she was gone.

Oh, but why not send one of her Amethysts, too? Blue Diamond picked the smallest one-less room taken up on the ship.

The Morganite insisted on bringing her Pearl, and Blue Diamond let her. 

And, because she insisted, Pink’s best Jasper, even though technically she was Yellow’s now, as Pink had no need for one. 

It was a small crew, but a decent one. Blue Diamond brought them to Homeworld, gave them the assignment, gave them a ship and sent them to Earth. 

A fusion was stowed away in the basement, barely believing she had made it this far. 

 

(During the time all this took, Steven was undergoing his first two years of school. He had even made a friend-a shy, polite girl named Connie. She was a little younger than him, but in some ways smarter, and didn’t entirelyfreak out when she learned about his gem.)


	15. Final Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A spaceship makes it's way to Earth.

The ship flew. Pearl kept forging on, day after day, and her memories began to fade.

Steven turned eight. Lapis Lazuli wondered if her Diamond would remember her.

The ship left Homeworld’s galaxy. Morganite practiced the speech she would give her Diamond.

Steven turned nine, and summoned his shield for the first time, to protect Connie from a gem monster. Peridot Facet 5XG began to strike a….friendly alliance with the Lapis Lazuli.

The ship entered the correct galaxy. Shortstuff realized she didn’t know what her Diamond actually looked like.  

Steven turned ten, still living with Greg, still trying to summon his shield again. (As a side-effect, he did summon his bubble.)  Jasper waited patiently to see Pink Diamond again.

The ship entered the Crystal System. Morganite became suspicious of the Amethyst’s friendliness with the Pearl. 

Steven turned eleven. Earth became within sight. Pearl felt like crying and couldn’t quite remember why.

A month or so before Steven was to turn twelve, the ship landed on Earth.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the butterfly's flap has grown into a full-blown tornado, and that tornado just touched down on Earth.   
> But the story's not over yet! Oh no, we still have quite a ways to go. This was just the beginning. Next story: The Return.   
> But first, I'm taking a hiatus. I need to get the chapters for the next part started, and so the next part will post in a week.   
> Also, I figured out how to upload photos! Pictured above from left to right; Garnet, Pearl, Shortstuff, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot Facet 5XG, Steven, Connie, and Morganite. :)


End file.
